Gold That Never Shines
by Phanstarlight
Summary: 'Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's pout as the two of them walked through the doors of their new school' Sam is getting pretty sick of being shipped around from one school to the next. While at first this latest addition seems like any other school, something will soon change that. Third installment of The Blood Of The Protectors series. Prequel to Everyone Wants To Rule The World.
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you enjoy this next part in The Blood of The Protectors series. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, this fic will be updated every Wednesday. As usual, I don't own the rights to Supernatural nor Grimm (but how I wish I did). Enjoy!**

"Chin up, Sam. We're only gonna be here for a few weeks then we'll move on again"

"That's exactly why it sucks so much"

Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's pout as the two of them walked through the doors of their new school. Their father had found a case in the area- a pack of werewolves, apparently- so Sam and Dean had to experience yet another 'first day' at yet another new school. Dean had gotten so used to it now that he was beyond caring by this point; he only had another year of school left anyway then he wouldn't have to deal with any of this anymore. But Sam still hated it.

"Come on, Sam. We've been in worse places. At least this place looks fairly decent. I distinctly remember our last school looked like it was about to fall down at any given moment and I'm pretty sure they had a serious rat infestation. Plus, Portland isn't _that_ bad" Dean sighed, stopping in the middle of the hallway which forced Sam to stop too and look up at his brother.

"It'll be okay. Try and make some new friends. I know the friendships we make rarely last but it's worth a shot, even if it's only for a few weeks" Dean said encouragingly to his brother and ruffled his hair a little. Suddenly, the bell sounded throughout the building and Dean gave Sam one last smile before walking towards his first lesson of the day (or to find somewhere to bunk off his first lesson of the day, Sam could never be sure). Sam began making his way to his own lesson, although truth be told he had absolutely no idea where he was supposed to be going. This school was a lot bigger than most of the ones he had previously been to- and Sam had been to a _lot_ of different schools by this point. The corridors were like an endless maze and the placement of the classrooms made zero sense to him. Sam started to panic as he noticed the corridors quickly emptying and he was still no closer to finding out where he was meant to be going. Finally, good luck struck him as he spotted a map on the wall on the other side of the corridor. But that luck rapidly drained away as Sam squinted at the old, faded, and utterly indecipherable map of the school grounds.

"Excuse me, could you-" Sam started to ask the person behind him but they ignored him and continued walking. Sam wasn't sure why he had expected anything else- no one ever wanted to talk to the new kid. Sam sighed as he turned around and stared down the now empty corridor. Typical; his first lesson of his one hundredth first day and he wasn't even going to get there at the right time. He was about to go looking for Dean when suddenly Sam was shoved forwards as someone collided with him. After stumbling for a moment, Sam turned around to see a kid about his age but maybe a little older standing behind him. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, his face was flushed, and his breath was coming out in quick, short bursts.

"I'm so sorry" the kid apologised breathlessly, glancing up at Sam.

"It's okay. I was in the way, I suppose" Sam replied, looking down at his feet.

"No, it was completely my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going" the kid apologised again. He paused for a moment before speaking again "I haven't seen you around here before, are you new?"

"Yeah, it's my first day today actually" Sam told him.

"Well, I know I'm late to lesson which probably means you are too. So what exactly were you doing standing out in the middle of the corridor?" the kid questioned, finally standing up straight.

"I couldn't figure out where to go" Sam admitted sheepishly.

"Don't worry, I was just like you on my first day here. This place is a complete maze. I'd be happy to show you where to go if you want" the kid smiled at him and Sam let out a sigh of relief. Sam told him the number of the room he was meant to be in and together they walked towards Sam's destination.

"Here you are" the kid smiled, pointing towards the door.

"I'm sorry if I make you late to your lesson" Sam apologised but the kid held up his hand and shook his head.

"It's okay, I'm only next door" he grinned and Sam found himself slowly smiling back at him.

"I'm Sam, by the way" Sam said, holding out his hand.

"I'm Nick. Nick Burkhardt" the kid replied, shaking Sam's hand before walking into his classroom. Sam smiled to himself and shook his head slightly before opening the door to the classroom he was meant to be in and walked inside. He was relieved to find out that the teacher wasn't even there yet. So, he quickly sat down at the only empty table which, to Sam's relief, was in the back corner, avoiding eye contact with everyone who stared at him as he walked past them. Even when the teacher finally arrived and the never ending dullness of math class began, Sam's smile still remained faintly on his lips and it stayed there for the rest of the hour.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam sighed as he walked through the cafeteria and sat down at a table in the corner- on his own, as usual. The entire place was buzzing with people and it was far too loud for anyone to hear anything, which only made people talk louder and increased the volume in the room even more. Sam glanced over his shoulder when he recognised his brother's laugh cut through the general noise around him and, not at all to Sam's surprise, he saw Dean already surrounded by a bunch of giggling girls. Sam sighed and turned back around but jumped suddenly when a tray of food landed in front of him. He looked up to see Nick, the kid who had practically saved his life earlier that day, sitting down opposite him. Sam stared in shocked silence as he sat down, took a bite out of his sandwich, then smiled brightly at him.

"So, how's your first day been so far?" Nick asked casually.

"Pretty okay" Sam replied slowly, unsure of what to do.

"Well, you're still here so I'm guessing Ms Wright didn't completely bore you to death" Nick joked and Sam found himself laughing.

"Not quite, though I'm pretty sure I almost fell asleep at least twice"

"Only twice?" Nick raised an eyebrow, causing Sam to laugh once more. The two sat in silence for a while as they ate and Sam wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he was certain the noise around them wasn't as deafening as it had been before.

"So, why are you joining a new school half way through the year?" Nick suddenly asked, his words slightly muffled by the food still in his mouth.

"I rarely get to stay at one school for very long since we move around a lot. My dad's a mechanic"

"I know the feeling," Nick smiled slightly and Sam tilted his head in confusion "I've only been here about a year and a half myself. My parents both died a couple of years ago, so now I live here with my Aunt Marie"

"I'm sorry about your parents," Sam said quietly "I lost my mom too but I was only six months old when she died so I don't really know much about her apart from what my dad and brother have told me"

"Is that your brother over there?" Nick asked, pointing towards Dean in the middle of the group of girls.

"Yeah. He's only got one year of school left so he's kinda past caring about it now. But I still hate always being the new kid" Sam replied and Nick nodded in agreement. The two of them continued to eat until Nick caught sight of a badge on Sam's bag. Sam noticed him looking at it and he instantly pulled it off to show Nick properly, a huge smile on his face.

"This is possibly the greatest tv show ever made" Sam stated proudly, handing the badge over to Nick.

"It looks cool, what's it called?" Nick asked, taking in every tiny detail he could from the image the badge showed.

"X-Files!" Sam beamed "It's about aliens and government conspiracies and the two main characters, who are FBI Agents, they try to uncover all of this stuff and-"

"It sounds awesome" Nick said, already hooked.

"I could lend you the box set. I mean, it's technically Dean's- my brother's- but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I 'borrowed' it for a while" Sam suggested and Nick nodded enthusiastically. The rest of lunch flew by and before either of them knew it, the bell rang for class.

"Do you know where you're going this time?" Nick lightly teased.

"I think so" Sam replied, sticking his tongue out at Nick.

"See you later?" Nick asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Sam promised as he turned and started to walk down the hall. The rest of the day dragged on for both of them (more than usual, that is). But that only made them even more grateful when they saw each other after the day had finally ended. Sam spotted Nick waiting for him by his locker and a smile instantly spread across his face.

"I thought you could use this" Nick said, handing over a piece of the paper to Sam. It took him a moment to realise it was a less faded version of the map he had seen on the wall on his first day.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Sam rolled his eyes but took the map and put it in his bag anyway.

"Of course not!" Nick joked, nudging Sam playfully. The two of them walked out of the school's door since the majority of the frantic students had already gone by this point. Sam quickly spotted Dean leaning against a tree waiting for him.

"I should probably get going" Sam said and Nick nodded his head.

"See you tomorrow" Nick called out as Sam walked away.

"Bye!" Sam waved back before turning and walking towards his brother.

"Who was that?" Dean asked once Sam reached him. Sam said nothing but Dean couldn't miss the huge grin on his face. The two of them walked back to the motel they were staying at in comfortable silence, though Dean could tell Sam seemed slightly less miserable than he usually was after another 'first day'. Once they arrived, Dean opened the door to their motel room and stepped inside. Sam quickly followed him.

"Dad?" Sam called out hopefully. But as he had expected, no answer came. Their father rarely seemed to have a problem with leaving them alone for days on end. But for once, Sam wasn't as bothered about it as he usually was.

"So, how was your day?" Dean asked, dumping his bag on the floor and flopping down onto the couch.

"It wasn't that bad. I actually sort of made a friend" Sam smiled, sitting down next to his brother.

"That kid you were sat with at lunch and waved to as you left?" Dean asked as he turned on the television.

"Yeah, he's the year above me. I got lost going to class this morning and he showed me the way then at lunch he just sat down opposite me and started talking like we already knew each other. Not that I minded"

"See, I told you it wouldn't be that bad" Dean smiled and nudged Sam's shoulder playfully.

"Shut up" Sam laughed, elbowing Dean's stomach in reply. Maybe being left alone with nothing but his brother, $10, and uncomfortable motel beds by their dad wouldn't be as bad as usual tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next week, Nick and Sam became almost inseparable. Sam almost started to forget that he had only been at this school for just over one week. Any time they weren't in a lesson, the two of them could always be spotted near each other. Dean was beginning to think they must be starting to run out of things to talk about, yet every time he looked over at the two of them, they were wrapped up in another riveting, enthusiastic conversation about something or other. One lunch time, Dean caught Sam handing the X-Files box set over to Nick.

"So that's where it went" Dean laughed quietly to himself before turning back to his own conversations. Across the room, Sam and Nick sat with the box set on the table between them.

"I'll watch every single episode" Nick promised, picking it up and stuffing the box set into his bag. But not before admiring all the artwork on each side of the case. Sam suddenly frowned as he thought about something he hadn't really had time to think about until this moment.

"You know," Sam started awkwardly, looking down at his feet "I haven't seen any of your other friends around. You don't have to leave them for me"

"Well, the truth is you're kind of the first friend I've really had in this place" Nick admitted.

"That makes two of us then" Sam joked, lightening the mood between them. Nick laughed a little before falling quiet and anxiously looking down at his feet.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked with concern.

"Um, I was wondering if maybe- and you can say no if you want- but would you like to come over for dinner tonight? It won't be much but my Aunt Marie is an amazing cook and I-"

"I'd love to" Sam cut off Nick's rambling and the two of them smiled brightly at each other.

"I'll wait for you after school and we can walk back together" Nick suggested and Sam nodded in agreement.

"I'll have to ask Dean but I'm sure he'll be fine with it"

The two of them dipped back into their usual flow of conversation, though they both seemed to be filled with a little more energy than usual. Lunch came to an end far too quickly and Sam had to run to catch his brother before he went to class.

"Hey, Dean!" Sam called out and his brother turned around at the sound of his name "Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Dean asked, stopping and letting Sam catch up to him.

"I was wondering if I could stay at Nick's tonight? He lives with his Aunt and she seems really nice!"

"Sure thing" Dean smiled and Sam beamed, thanked Dean, then went off in the direction of his next lesson. His excitement caused him to completely miss the look of fear flashing in Dean's eyes at the thought of having to try and explain to their father where Sam had gone and why he wasn't with him.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on much longer than it usually did and Sam was extremely grateful to hear the final bell of the day sound throughout the building. Quickly he gathered up all his stuff, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and rushed towards the doors. There he found Nick waiting for him a few steps away from the door so he didn't get in the way of the general crowd of kids cramming themselves out the doors, desperate to get home. The two of them gave each other nervous yet unwaveringly happy smiles as Sam reached Nick. And with that brief and silent exchange, Nick began leading the way.

Sam loved Nick's home before they had even walked inside. Who he assumed was Nick's Aunt Marie was stood in the open doorway waving cheerfully at them. Sam smiled politely once they reached her as Nick introduced him.

"So you're the infamous Sam? Nick's been talking almost non-stop about you all week" Marie teased her nephew gently, causing both Nick and Sam to blush. She laughed softly to herself before ushering them both inside. Almost instantly, Sam was struck with how homely the place felt. It was pretty crammed full of belongings but oddly enough that didn't make it overwhelming. In fact, it just added more to its charm. As Sam looked around, his eyes caught sight of an intricately designed book sat on the side.

"What's that?" Sam asked, pointing towards it.

"Nothing" Marie said, quickly picking it up and throwing it into a draw. Sam turned to Nick who shrugged.

"It's a book of Grimm tales, I think" Nick told him quietly and Sam nodded, guessing he shouldn't try to push the matter any further. Suddenly a delicious smell hit his nose and Sam realised Marie was in the middle of cooking something.

"That smells so good" Sam commented, leaning over to see what was being cooked.

"Oh, it's just a little home cooked meal my sister, Nick's mother, taught me. Nothing special" Marie admitted.

"Anything home cooked is special in my books" Sam said slightly wistfully. Marie glanced over to look at him but said nothing despite seeing the longing look on his face. Something told her that this kid didn't have the type of family that made home cooked dinners, along with probably a lot of other things she considered family necessities. But that only made her more determined to make him feel included in this family, even if was only for one evening. She smiled softly to herself as she watched the two of them sit down and Nick instantly launch into conversation, Sam replying to him just as enthusiastically. She knew Nick had been having trouble finding friends and settling into this new school, despite being there for over a year by now. So it was nice to see him interacting so positively with someone other than herself and the few friends he had kept up with from his previous school.

The two continued their conversation as Marie prepared dinner. Soon enough everything was ready and she presented the two boys with steaming bowls of stew. Nick smiled broadly- his mother's stew was one of his favourites- and Sam's eyes lit up as he ate his first mouthful.

"This is delicious!" Sam gushed and Marie smiled kindly at him. The meal continued with general small talk about Sam's family and Nick and Marie's life in the trailer. Soon everyone's plates were cleared and Nick quickly volunteered to wash up.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll do it tonight" Marie smiled softly and Nick shrugged obligingly. Another hour flew past and Marie suddenly realised how dark it was getting outside.

"It's getting late, you should probably be thinking about getting home" Marie said to Sam with a smile.

"I'm not sure how, though" Sam said in explanation to his fallen expression "My dad definitely won't come out just to get me and I doubt he'd let Dean borrow his car"

"Would you like to stay here tonight then?" Marie asked understandingly and Sam looked up at her, first from surprise and then gratitude.

"That would be great" Sam nodded shyly and Marie went about setting him up a bed for the night while Sam texted Dean to tell him where he was. Once Sam got a reply from Dean giving him the all clear, he thanked Marie profusely for the blow up mattress and Sam and Nick settled into bed. They continued whispering in hushed tones long after all the lights had been switched off but eventually they both drifted into silence. Marie smiled down affectionately at the two of them before settling down and falling asleep herself.


	4. Chapter 4

At first, Sam wasn't entirely sure what was happening. He'd been awoken by the smell of bacon and the sound of someone quietly humming to themselves. He rolled over and opened his eyes to find Nick sat up next to him, yawning loudly and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Good morning you two" Marie greeted them cheerfully as Sam pulled himself up. Just as he managed to get his bearings, a tray of bacon and eggs was set down on his lap.

"Eat up, you'll need the energy for school today" Marie smiled at Sam's slightly confused expression. She ruffled Nick's hair affectionately before turning away and beginning to wash up. Sam stared down at the food on his lap in utter bewilderment. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a cooked breakfast made for him. Scratch that, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd eaten breakfast at all. Both he and Nick ate quickly and managed a bleary, half asleep conversation between bites. Marie then ushered them to get dressed before they all piled into her car as she drove them to school.

Sam and Nick walked side-by-side through the school doors. The usual school life bustled around them but mostly ignored the two of them as they made their way through the crowd. Which, for once, was actually completely okay with both of them; because now at least they had each other for company. Nick's aunt had waved them off at the front gates and Sam had realised it had been a long time since anyone had cheerfully waved him off to school- apart from Dean if he was needed on a hunt with their dad but that was different. It wasn't long before they had to go to class and were forced to separate. But they promised to eat lunch together, just like they did every day. Lessons seemed to fly by and suddenly Sam found himself walking through the maze of corridors he was starting to get used to, straight towards the cafeteria. But just before he could walk inside, someone caught his arm and gently turned him around. Sam looked up to see his brother smiling down at him.

"So, how was it?" Dean asked and smiled a little wider when Sam's eyes lit up at the question.

"It was amazing! Marie, Nick's aunt, is really nice and she's a really good cook. I can't remember the last time I had a proper home cooked meal made for me. And their trailer was really nice" Sam rambled, grinning widely.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good time" Dean said honestly, ruffling his brother's hair.

"What's that?" Sam suddenly asked as he spotted what appeared to be a bruise on Dean's arm.

"Oh, it's nothing" Dean said, hastily pulling his sleeves further down his arm to cover it. Sam was about to push further but the look on his brother's face told him that he shouldn't ask any more questions because he wouldn't want to know the answers.

"Well, I should probably let you get to lunch. I wonder when you and Nick are going to run out of things to talk about" Dean teased lightly.

"I doubt that will ever happen; we always seem to have something to talk about" Sam smiled happily before turning back around and walking into the cafeteria. He quickly found Nick and walked over to him.

"Sorry I'm late, I was talking to my brother" Sam apologised but Nick shook his head.

"It's fine, I've only just sat down myself" Nick told him with a smile.

"Thanks for letting me stay over last night, by the way" Sam said as he sat down opposite Nick.

"It's fine, I was happy I got to talk to you longer anyway" Nick grinned.

"We did stay up quite late, didn't we?" Sam managed to say in between a yawn. The two of them giggled with each other and continued their lunch. As usual, their break was over far too soon and they were forced to part ways to go to class.

"See you at the end of the day?" Nick asked just before he turned to go down the corridor.

"As always" Sam replied, turning in the opposite direction.

* * *

Sam sighed quietly to himself as the droning voice of the teacher at the front of the room echoed in his head. He was certain he was about to fall asleep when suddenly the door opened and Sam looked up from his work to see Dean striding into the room. He watched with confusion as Dean quietly spoke with his teacher before beckoning him over.

"Sam Winchester, you may be excused" Sam's teacher announced. Everyone turned in their seats to stare at him as he slowly stood up, gathered up his things, and walked to the front of the room.

"Thank you" Dean said to the teacher and ushered Sam out the room. As soon as Dean had shut the door behind him, he grabbed Sam's arm and began hurrying towards the front of the school.

"What's going on? Dean, where are we going?" Sam asked, confused as his brother pulled him along.

"Dad's found the pack of werewolves and he wants us to help him" Dean explained, pushing the front door of the school open and stepping outside.

"Right now? Couldn't he bare to wait another two hours for the school day to finish?" Sam huffed in frustration, following Dean outside.

"I don't have time to explain, we just need to go" Dean said, pointing towards the road where the Impala and their father were waiting. Sam made sure his annoyance was clearly shown as he got into the car. But, predictably, John ignored him and began explaining the job to them (well, mostly Dean). And as the car pulled away and the school building faded into the distance, Sam found himself wishing to be back at school for the first time in a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam rested his chin against his hands as he sat by the hole in the ground his father and Dean were digging. He wasn't really sure what he was doing there in all honesty. He hadn't really been able to do much apart from being the lookout as the other had two cornered the werewolf pack and killed them. He couldn't even help dig the makeshift graves; his only purpose was to hold the torch to make up for the fading light of the day. He sighed quietly enough so his dad wouldn't hear him and his mind began to wander.

He began to think what it would be like to have a normal life like Nick's. Sure, Nick didn't have the perfect life that everyone dreamed of, but he was happy. He had a stable home with someone who obviously loved him dearly. He didn't move from one end of the country to the next every month, he wouldn't spend his whole life being 'the new kid' and always feeling out of place. Things like home cooked meals, being woken up with cooked breakfasts, and saying 'I love you' were simple yet completely normal things to Nick that he probably didn't even have to think about. But to Sam, they were some distant idea that he would never quite have no matter how hard he reached for them. At least, not with his dad and his brother. Not in a life like this- the hunter's life. He did hope that one day he would escape all of this and have a normal, happy life but he knew it was only a wild dream. No one in this life ever seemed to truly leave it behind them, no matter how hard they may try. But Sam was determined to break that trend. He had always known he didn't want to hunt all of his life but now he was completely set on making that dream a reality. If his friendship with Nick had taught him anything, it was that things can become normal again no matter what has happened to you in the past.

Then he began to worry about Nick. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain to him why he hadn't been waiting for him at the end of the day like he always did. He'd probably have to make up some excuse about a doctor's appointment or something but Nick seemed to be very good at figuring out lies from truth. The last thing he wanted was for Nick to think he didn't trust him but he also knew he could never tell him the truth behind what actually happened. Sam just had to hope Nick would understand and let it slide. His friendship with Nick had made these past few weeks so much better than they could have been and while he knew it couldn't last forever, he didn't want to lose it all just yet. He could stay in this bubble of calmness and security for just a little longer with Nick by his side. He wished he could thank Nick for everything he'd done for him, but he just couldn't figure out how. If he brought it up, Nick would probably laugh it off and tell him that being his friend was enough. But, while Sam appreciated the sentiment, he wanted to do something more for him than just that. He just wasn't exactly used to the whole 'having real friends' deal so he wasn't sure what to do. Maybe he could-

Sam was startled out of his thoughts by Dean patting him gently on the shoulder. Sam looked around to realise that the grave had now been covered over and John was taking their things back to the car. A shiver travelled through his body as he looked into the darkness of nightfall around them and he realised just how cold he had gotten. Sam accepted the hand Dean offered down to him and pulled himself up. He quickly brushed himself off and rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm them up a little bit. Then he and Dean walked over to join their father by the Impala.

"Let's get out of here" John said, carelessly throwing the final duffle bag into the trunk of the car and slamming it shut.

"What, right now?" Sam asked tentatively, a knot quickly forming in his stomach.

"Yes, of course right now. There's no point wasting any more time here" John said matter-of-factly, opening the car door.

"But what about Nick?" Sam blurted out. John paused and looked at his youngest son quizzically.

"Who? Look, Sam, we don't have time for this" John sighed with frustration, gesturing towards the car as a signal for Sam and Dean to get in.

"At least let me say goodbye to him" Sam pleaded, taking a step towards his father. If they just disappeared overnight, Nick would be worried about him. Or he would think that he had abandoned him.

"Get in the car!" John demanded, his voice growing louder.

"Dad, come on-"

"Don't make me ask you again!" John yelled, causing Sam to physically flinch. Lowering his head in defeat, Sam silently slid into the back of the Impala. Dean glared at their father, sitting in the back with Sam rather than riding shotgun as the only act of defiance he knew he could get away with right now. John huffed angrily but said nothing as he too got into the car and began to drive away from one of the few places Sam had even vaguely felt like he belonged. After a while of complete silence, Dean slowly extended an arm out towards his brother. Sam instantly shuffled over and leant into Dean's hold. Dean squeezed him gently, knowing how much that brief friendship had meant to him.

"It's okay," Dean whispered in Sam's ear "maybe you'll see him again one day"


	6. Epilogue

**This chapter will only make sense if you have read the previous fic in this series, Missing Fire. This is the final chapter of this fic but, as usual, more of this series will be on the way soon.**

-Several years later-

Sam smiled to himself as he knocked on Nick's front door. His smile only widened when he saw the surprised expression on Nick's face when he opened the door to see him standing there.

"I was just getting ready to catch you again" Nick joked and Sam laughed as he pulled him into a friendly hug.

"Hey, Nick" another voice said tentatively next to Sam. Nick's body instantly tensed as he pulled away from Sam to see Dean standing on his porch. His eyes worriedly flicked towards Sam who began to laugh at his reaction.

"Don't worry, he isn't a demon anymore" Sam explained and Nick visibly relaxed.

"I'm sorry about every-" Dean started but Nick held up a hand to cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. You weren't the real you. But you're back now, so that's all that matters" Nick smiled and now it was Dean's turn to relax. Nick quickly ushered them inside and got them to sit down. Just as he went to join them, a blindingly bright light appeared in the doorway and another voice sounded behind him.

"Am I late?"

All three of them turned around to see Cas standing behind them. Nick instantly walked over to him and greeted him.

"It's been far too long since I've seen you, Cas" Nick laughed, patting him affectionately on the back "How have you been?"

"Now _that's_ a long story" Dean laughed before looking around the room "Where's Trubel?"

"It seems like we all have a lot to catch up on" Juliette said, appearing at the top of the stairs and smiling down at the two hunters.

"We certainly do" Sam commented as Juliette walked down to join them.

"Maybe you should call over Monroe and Rosalee, I never got a chance to congratulate them on their wedding" Dean suggested and Nick let out a bark of laughter.

"Good idea, and then I can tell you what a wild ride that entire day was for all of us" Nick huffed humorously, pulling out his phone from his pocket. Ten minutes later, Monroe and Rosalee arrived at Nick's door. They too visibly flinched at seeing Dean but once Nick explained it all to them the way Sam had, they both relaxed and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're okay" Rosalee smiled as she let go of Dean and stepped back.

"I think we all are" Nick added, smiling broadly at the Winchester brothers.

"It's good to see you too, Castiel" Monroe nodded towards the angel with a smile.

"Congrats on the marriage, by the way" Dean smiled, glancing down at the wedding rings sitting happily on Monroe and Rosalee's fingers.

"Why don't we tell the story of that... interesting day" Monroe chuckled, nudging Nick.

"I'll make us all pancakes while we're at it, you guys must be hungry" Nick offered and both Sam and Dean- but mostly Dean- nodded vigorously.

But just as they started walking towards the kitchen, Sam suddenly stopped when he caught sight of a battered X-Files box set that was tucked away on one of the shelves next to the television. A sad smile flickered across his lips as he remembered a friend from long ago. But then he shook himself from those thoughts- that friend was long gone now- and he followed everyone else into the kitchen.

Sam always remembered how nice that kid whose name he had long since forgotten had been to him in the short time they had known each other. Nick sometimes found himself thinking about that lonely looking boy he had known for only three weeks and wondering if he was still just as lonely or if he had finally managed to escape and live his own life. Neither of them knew that the man standing in front of them was the kid they had once known, but they both found themselves reminded of a long lost friend every time they saw each other smile.


End file.
